Big Society Must Not Ignore “Forgotten Youth”
Working on v’s formative evaluation has been both challenging and enlightening, providing valuable insights into data collection processes. Despite the breadth of collected data, there’s room for improvement in capturing our narrative.
Impact of Volunteering
A frequent question is: What is v’s return on investment? With £5.80 generated for every pound spent, the immediate impacts on young volunteers are significant. However, the broader story lies in the community benefits and the long-term impact on individuals. As we advance, we’re focusing on gathering data to quantify these critical impacts.
Engaging Diverse Youth
Volunteering is often seen as a bourgeois activity, but our data indicates that with the right support, it can attract a diverse range of young people. Projects have involved volunteers from low-income households (51%), those at risk of exclusion (10%), and offenders/ex-offenders (7%). We’ve engaged homeless youth, refugees, and young people from ethnic minorities, showing that positive social mixing, not targeted programs, leads to broader engagement.
The “Forgotten Youth”
With the risk of young people becoming the ‘forgotten youth’, investment across sectors is crucial to create opportunities that engage and inspire. Our CEO emphasizes, “From our work, we know young people are a huge social and economic asset with energy, talents, and ideas that make them a powerful force for change. Let’s ensure this is harnessed for society’s benefit.”
Further Reading
Explore more about the formative evaluation and its findings:
- Big Society must not ignore “Forgotten Youth”
- My thoughts on v’s formative evaluation
- The impact of v: interim findings
[Read the full evaluation (link removed)]
[Findings Summary (link removed)]
[Implications Summary (link removed)]
This article highlights the potential of volunteering to address issues like homelessness and poverty, while fostering civic engagement among young people, making it a vital social innovation tool.